Listening Skills
Engineering Communications &
Societal Integration
Why Listening is
Important
 Solves problems
 Resolves
disagreements
 Better cooperation
 Prevent trouble
Listening Habits
 Poor
listening habits
 Ways to overcome
Thinking the subject is
uninteresting
 Ask
yourself, “what can I
use here”
 Focus
on what is being
said not who is saying it.
Thinking about the
Speaker’s Delivery
 Focus
 Write
on content
down annoyance
to think about later
Pretending to Listen
Quiz yourself
 Imagine yourself having a
conversation with that
person immediately
afterwards
 Make eye contact
 Nod and smile at speaker

Speaking Skills
Professional Attire
• No open toed shoes in winter or
fall
• Dress shoes not hiking boots or
black tennis shoes
• Maximum heal height is 2 in.
• Shoes, belt, and socks should
not clash
• No shorts
Professional Attire
• Pants are fine; capris are not
• Pants cannot be denim; must
be slacks with trouser fit
• Skirt length (brushes ground in
East, one thumb above knee in
West)
• Dress shirt must be
accompanied with tie (bow tie is
too formal)
• Wear t-shirt under dress shirt
Professional Attire
• Neckline for blouses / dresses –
East 18 in.; West 20 in.
• Pull hair back in East; hair off
collar
• Color acceptable in West
• Jackets for gentlemen: buttons
and removal
• No hats
• No pens, change, or keys in
pockets
Poise / Posture
BLAST
Vocal Warm Ups
•Monica
•Leather
Speaking Skills
• The rain in Spain falls mainly on
the Plain.
• In Hartford, Hereford, and
Hampshire hurricanes hardly
happen.
• The arsonist has oddly shaped
feet.
• The human torch was denied a
bank loan.
The UM Policy
Visual Aids
Visual Aids
1. Two sheets of paper.
2. On one sheet, make a drawing of
anything.
Visual Aids
3. Exchange drawing with someone who
was not your partner from the speaking
exercise.
4. Return to your partner from the
speaking exercise.
Visual Aids
5. One person will explain the drawing (all
descriptions are okay) while the other
person draws it. Only rule is cannot
show the person the drawing.
6. When time is called, switch roles.
Careful Selection of Material
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Printed material
Overhead transparencies
Slides
Flip charts
Writing boards
Video tapes / discs
Models
Quality
• Purpose – help you and audience
• Limit content – simplicity wins
– 6-8 words per line
– 5-7 lines per slide
• Large type: bold / italics / underline for
emphasis
• Pictures are worth 1,000 words
• Do not copy text …it’s too small to read
Effective graphics should
be simple and clear.
Template
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Title
Overview
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Questions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpvgfmEU2Ck
Technical Briefing
• Due: Wednesday, May 18
• Topic: Anything engineering or
technical
• Time: Maximum of two minutes (no
questions)
• Requirements: visual aids,
professional attire, and handout copy
of slides
Human Powered
Vehicle Challenge
Candice Bauer
Overview
• Events
–Endurance
• Vehicles
–Single Rider
–Multi-Rider
–Utility
Endurance
Single - Rider
Multi - Rider
Utility
It is not as easy as it looks
New Design
Back to Drawing Board
Before
and
After
Conclusion
• Events
–Endurance
• Vehicles
–Single Rider
–Multi-Rider
–Utility
Questions
• Listening Skills
• Speaking Skills
• Visual Aids
• Technical Briefing
Summary
Stand up to be seen;
speak up to be heard;
shut up to be appreciated.